Electric switch



Dec. 223, 1930., H E. NORVHEL I ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed April 1, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet Sum new Dec. 23, 1930.

H. E. NORVIEL 1,785,911

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed April 1, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 attozwew Patented Dec. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY E. NORV'IEL, F ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

T0 DELCO-REMY CORPORATION, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE I ELECTRIC SWITCH Application filed April 1,

This invention relates to electrical switches, especially those adapted for lighting and ignition switches on automotive vehicles.

An object of this invention is to provide 6 an economically built compact lighting and ignition switch unit suitable for mounting upon the instrument board of an automotive vehicle.

A more specific object is to provide a pressed metal housing for such a switch, the

metal of said housing being shaped to provide suitable locating p'ositions for the movable member of said switch.

Another object is to provide an improved form of-yielding locating detent movable with the movable member of the switch.

' Another object is to provide an improved and economically built form of key lock for said switch.

Further objects relate to various improvements which reduce the cost of manufacture tion switch unit embodying the features of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof.

. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3' of Fig. 2.

' Fig. 4 is a section on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the interior of the pressed metal housing.

Fig. 6 is a rear view of the back cover plate to the housing and shows the parts mounted upon the back side thereof.

Figs. 7 and 8 are side and rear elevations of the lightswitch operating lever.

Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views of the circular sheet metal spring member which .serves as the locating detent for the light switch.

Fig. 11 is a detail view of the insulating washer for mounting the spring contact arms 1924. Serial No. 703,557.

of the light switch upon the shaft of the manual lever.

Fi 12 isa detail view of the removable key or operating the ignition switch.

Figs. 13 and 14 are front and side views of a small U-shaped spring member which holds the ignition switch key in place within the bore in the shaft of the manual lever.

Figs. 15 and 16 are front and side views of the key operated ignition switch shaft.

Fig. 17 is a detail view of a small stop member non-rotatably secured to the ignition switch shaft and serving as a limiting stop for the rotation thereof.

Figs. 18, 19 and 20 are forward, side and rear views, respectively, of the movable contact member of the ignition switch.

In the drawings like or similar reference characters refer to like or similar parts throughout the several views.

Numeral 30 designates the cup-shaped pressed metal housing for the movable mechanism of the switch unit. A pressed metal cup-shaped dial member 31 is rigidly secured to the front face of housing 30 by means ofv through suit-' the integral lugs 32 passin able slots in housing 30 an being crimped over on the inside as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The light switch shaft 35 having the integral manual operating lever 34 is rotatably mounted within registering'central bores 36 in the spaced walls of the housing 30 and dial member 31.

This shaft 35 has mounted non-rotatably thereupon: first the circular spring member 37 which will be described in more detail below; and secondly, the light switch movable contact member 38 having the integral spring contact arms 39. This member 38 is electrically insulated from the shaft 35 by the fiber insulating washers 40 and 41, the first washer 40 transmitting the driving torque from shaft 35 to contact member 38 by means of its fiat central bore 42 cooperating with the flats 33 of shaft 35, and by means of the depending lugs 43 extending from member 38 down into the notches 44 in the Washer 40 (see Figs. 3, 4 and 11). The metal washer 45 and the nut 46 bearing thereupon hold all the parts just described rigidly upon the flat 33 provided on the shaft 35.

The circular s ring member 37 (see Figs. 9 and 10) inclu es an arm 37a joining the ring portion with a hub37b which is provided with a central aperture having flats 37 c which cooperate with the flats 33 of shaft 35, the member 37 being secured to shaft 35 by nut 46. Lugs 36d'1ntegral with casing 30 andextendinginto the path of move-- ment of arm 37a limit the travel of shaft 35. Member 37 isprovided near its periphery with a semi-spherical detent 50. The inner face of the housin 30 has a. series of corrugations or suitab e depressions 51 pressed in the metal thereof over which the detent 50 is adapted to ride when shaft 35 is turned. It is thus clear that the depressions 51 and the 'eldable detent 50will serve to locate the 'ght switch lever in various positions for makin suitable contacts to turn on or off the desired lighting'circuits. In order to facilitate the forming of-the corrugations 51 the wall of housing 30 is preferably first slotted at the arcuate slot 52 and the two radial slots 53. This enables the sheet metal of the housing to be more easily pressed out by means of a die press into the corrugations 51 as will be readil understood by thoseskilled in the artu f desired the wall of housing 30 may also be slotted at the ints 54 to more; easily permit the formation of the corrugations 51, as will be readily under- The stationarycontact points 60 (see Fig. 4) with which the spring arms 39 contact are rigidly mounted upon the insulating back cover plate 61 which may be formed of an suitable insulating matenal but referab y bakelite is used. This cover p ate ,61 is. rigidly held in place upon the housing 30 by means of the projecting lugs 62 integral with housing 30 which fit withincorresponi ing slots 63 in the back cover plate (see Fi'g. 6) and are bent over the edge thereof as clearly shown in Fig. 1. 5

The i ition switch shaft 70, shown in detail in igs. 15 and 16, is mounted within a central bore in the light switch shaft 35 and projects beyond the end of shaft 35 through. a hole 71 in the back cover late 61 (see Fig. 3). A bakelite cylinder 5 is non-rotatabl mounted upon the rojecting end of shaft by means of the at 72 on shaft 70 and the nut 73. Cylinder 75 is provided with a conducting bridge 74 extending diametrically across the end of the cylinder but insulated from shaft 70 as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3, 19 and 20. This bridge 74 is adapted when turned in one pdsition-to complete the ignition circuit throughfthe sta-' tionary spring contact arms 76, and when turned to anbther position, preferably at 90 degrees from the circuit closing position, to' open the ignition circuit through arms 76.

rivet 79 (see Fig. 6).

A spring indexing detent 77 having a rounded projection 78 is rigidly secured at one end to the back plate 61 by means of the This projection 78 rides over the end face of cylinder 75 when said'cylinder is turned by shaft 70 to open or close the ignition circuit and falls into one or the other-of the radial notches 80 in cylinder 75, thus indexing or locating the cylinder 75 in its open and closed positions. In addition to this indexing detent 78 a positive stop is provided by the lug 81 (see 17) non-rotatably mounted upon shaft 70 at the flat 72 thereon. This lug 81 rotates within a small sector 82 cut out of the back plate 61 (see Fig. 6) and acts as a positive stop for the movement of shaft 70 by abutting one or the other side of this sector 82.

The shaft 70 is turned manually by means of a key which en ages a slot 83 within the enlarged head 84 0% the shaft 70 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The large bore 86 in the front portion of shaft 35 is of suificient diameter to permit the rotation of the flatkey 85 therein. The key 85 is held in place in the bore 86 by means of a small U-shaped sprin clip '87 shown in detail in Figs. 13 and 14 an in assembled position in Fig. 3. p This clip 87 is formed from a piece of flat spring material bent up in U-shaped form and having semi-circular shaped end flanges 88. This clip 87 is adapted to be inserted within the bore 86 until the outwardly turned. flanges 88v snap into the annular groove 89' on the interior of bore 86 thus rotatably se-" curing the clip 87 in ,place. The flanges 88 cover and protect the end opening of bore 86 with the exce tion of the key-way slot therebetween (see ig. 2) and give the appearance of a rotatable barrel in the .well known tumtion of a screw-driver or similar instrument throu 'h the key-way into the slot 83 in the shaft' m, thus preventing the-operation of the i ition switch with such an instrument. The ey 85 is thus enga e the slot 83 of shaft 70 (see Fig. 3). The ey 85 is yieldably held within its key-way by frictional contact between the .flat sides of the key and the two spring arms 93 integral with the spring clip 87. The key 85 is provided with a hole 85a for receiving the ends of the spring arms to assist in retaining the key in position in the switch.

These arms 93 are cammed apart by the inrovided at its tip with two A prongs 91 whic straddle the bridge 90 and required to make a locking switch of the igniizion switch are the U-shaped clip 87 and the ey 85.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is as follows:

1. In an electric switch having a movable contact carrying member, a yieldable detent supported on said movable member and movable therewith, a switch housing formed of pressed sheet metal and housing said movable member, a wall of said housing having corrugations formed therein from the sheet metal to form recesses for said detent whereby said movable member is locatedin any one of a plurality of positions.

2. In an electric switch, a movable contact carrying member having a yieldable locating detent secured thereto and movable therewith, a pressed sheet metal housing for said movable member, one wall of said housing having a rigid portion slotted and depressed so as to lie adjacent said detent and said depressed wall portion having corrugations raised therein from the sheet metal to form locating recesses for said detent.

3. In an electric switch,,a movable contact carrying member having a yieldable locating detent secured thereto and movable therewith, a cup-shaped sheetmetal housing for said movable member, one wall of said housing lying adjacent said detent and having recesses pressed therein by deforming the sheet metal thereof to form locating recesses for said detent.

4. In an electric switch, a movable contact carrying member having a yielding loeating detent secured thereto and movable therewith; said detent comprising a disc including a circular sheet metal spring por tion provided with a. locating projection near its outer periphery and surrounding a central hub portion and a web portion con necting the aforesaid spring and hub portions thus providin an arc-shaped slot in the disk to increase its yieldability.

5. In an electric switch, a contact carrying member having a yielding locating detent secured thereto and rotatable therewith; said detent comprising a circular sheet metal spring having its central portion secured to the movable member and having a locating portion near its outer periphery and having an annular intermediate portion cut away toincrease the spring effect of the circular spring. v

6. An electric switch comprising in combination, a case having a cover plate carrying contacts on the inner side thereof; an operating lever supported by the case and extending thereinto; a movable contact operated by said lever into engagement with said contacts on the inner side of the cover plate; a shaft rotatably supported by said operating lever and extending through the cover plate; an insulating member secured to the shaft adjacent-the outer side of the cover plate; a bridging conductor on said insulating member; contacts insulatingly supported on the outer side of the cover plate and normally engaging the insulating member; and means for operating the shaft.

7. An electric switch comprising in combination, a case having an insulating cover plate. carrying contacts on the inner side thereof; an operating lever including a hollow hub portion rotatably supported by the case and extending thereinto; a movable contact operated by said lever into engagement with said contacts in the inner side of the cover plate; a shaft journalled in said hub portion and extending through the cover plate; an insulating member supported on the shaft adjacent the outer side of the cover plate; a bridging contact carried by the insulating member; resilient contact fingers supported on the cover, normally engaging the insulating member; and means for operating the shaft.

8. An electric switch comprising, in combination, a cylindrical non-conducting body, means for axially rotating it, a metal insert carried by said body and having a cylindrical contact surface flush with the non-conducting cylindrical surface of the body, a spring contact finger engageable with the body or insert, and means for yieldingly holding the body in certain positions of rotation and comprising a detent yieldingly urged into a recess in an end face of the body.

9. An electric switch comprising, in combination, a cylindrical non-conducting body, a shaft supporting the body, anon-conducting plate spaced from the bodyand having a hole for receiving the shaft, means connected with the plate for supporting the shaft, a leaf-spring detent member attached to the plate and located between the plate and the body and cooperating with recesses in the end face of the body adjacent the plate, leaf spring conductors attached to the plate and bearing against the cylindrical surface of the body, and a metal member embedded in said body and having contact surfaces flush with the cylindrical surface of the body.

10. In an electric switch, movable contact carrying members, one of said contact carrying members having a yieldable locating detent secured thereto and movable therewith, a cup-shaped sheet metal housing for said movable member, one wall of said housing lying adjacent said detent and having recesses pressed therein by deforming the sheet metal thereof to form locating recesses for said detent; another of said contacts com-' prising, a cylindrical non-conducting body, a shaft supporting the body, a non-conducting plate spaced from the body and having a hole for receiving the shaft, means connected with the plate for supporting the shaft, leaf spring conductors attached to the plate and bearing against the cylindrical surface of the body, and a metal member embedded in said body and having contact surfaces flush with the cylindrical surface of the body.

11. In an electric switch, movable con tact carrying members, one of said contact carrying members having a yieldable locating detent secured thereto and movable therewith, a cup-shaped sheet metal housing for said movable member, one wall of said housing lying adjacent said detent and having recesses pressed therein by deforming the sheet metal thereof to form locating recesses for said detent; another of said contacts comprising, a cylindrical non-conducting body, a shaft supporting the body, a non-conducting plate spaced from the body and having a hole for receiving the shaft, means connected with the plate for supporting the shaft, a leaf spring detent member attached to the plate and-located between t the plate and the body and cooperating with recesses in the end face of the body adjacent the plate, leaf spring conductors attached to the plate and bearing against the cylindrical surface of the body, and a metal member embedded in said body and having contact surfaces flush with the cylindrical sur face of the body.

In testimony whereof I hereto afix my signature.

HARRY E. NORVIEL. 

